Think before you leap

Today’s Idea

I remember this New Year's resolution vividly. Like many people, I decided I was going to "get in shape." I pictured myself with toned muscles, boundless energy, and effortlessly fitting into clothes that had been gathering dust in my closet. I bought some new workout clothes and a pair of expensive gym shoes, signed up for a gym membership, and bought a subscription of a fitness tracking app.

During the first week, I was incredibly motivated. I went to the gym every day, pushed myself hard, and started eating more proteins and less carbs. But then, reality hit. Waking up early to exercise before work became a struggle. Going to gym after work became too tiring. The healthy meals felt restrictive and unsatisfying. The initial excitement quickly faded away.

Within a few weeks, my gym visits became less frequent. The healthy meals were replaced by old comfort foods. The fitness tracking app remained unopened on my phone. My New Year's resolution, like so many before it, had fizzled out. I had fallen victim to the trap Epictetus warned about: I had started with enthusiasm but had failed to fully consider the consequences and the sustained effort required to truly transform my fitness.

This experience, and countless others like it (we've all been there!), highlighted a fundamental truth: lasting change is not a sprint, it's a marathon. It's not about instant gratification, it's about delayed gratification. It's not about effortless achievement, it's about embracing discomfort, setbacks, and the inevitable plateaus that are part of the process.

The problem is, we live in a culture that often glorifies instant results. We often glorify the people who won a competition with 6 months of training vs someone who spent their life training for it. We fall for the illusion of instant mastery.

We become like the child playing pretend, flitting from one fitness fad to the next, never truly committing to the long, arduous process of self improvement. We try intense workout programs, restrictive diets, and quick-fix solutions, but we rarely stick with anything long enough to see real, lasting results. We become inconsistent, frustrated, and ultimately, disillusioned.

To sum up today’s idea, lasting change requires a fundamental shift in mindset away from seeking instant gratification and towards embracing the long-term process, with all its inherent discomfort, setbacks, and delayed rewards. We must commit to consistent action, understanding that true transformation is a marathon, not a sprint.

Today’s Action

Reflect on a past goal that you still want to achieve where you fell short due to a focus on instant gratification rather than sustained effort. Identify one specific, small, sustainable action you can take today that aligns with the long-term process of achieving that goal. This action should be something you can realistically maintain, even when motivation wanes. Write it down, and commit to doing it.

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